Mail box with height adjustable support means

ABSTRACT

Apparatus for receiving and collecting mail comprising a heavy base, the outer surfaces of the base tapering upward and inward; a vertical post downward through the base; a rural delivery type mail box; and means supporting said box and slidable along the post to support the box at any desired height along the post, said means including a manually operable mechanism for locking the box into position, said means being rotatable about the post.

United States Patent Sackrison Sept, 3, 1974 [54] MAIL BOX WITH HEIGHT ADJUSTABLE 1,434,000 10/1922 Gibbs 248/158 PPO MEANS 1,587,920 6/1926 248/132 2,625,130 l/l953 Morser 248/158 X Inventor: Carl Sackrison, Stratford, o 2,646,638 7/1953 Peterson 248/158 x Assigneez The Raymond Lee Organization 2,918,202 12/1959 Constantine 248/221 X Inc., New York, NY. a part interest Primary Examiner-Franc1s K. Zugel [22] Filed: Jan. 17, 1973 C 5 7 ABSTRA T [21] Appl. No.: 324,379 1 Apparatus for receivmg and collecting mail comprising a heavy base, the outer surfaces of the base taper- [52] US. Cl. 232/39 ing upward and inward; a vertical post downward [51] it. Cl A47g 29/12 through the base; a rural i y yp mail and [58] new of Search 232/39; 248/132 means supporting said box and slidable along the post 248/221 188'1 to support the box at any desired height along the post, said means including a manually operable mech- [56] References and anism for locking the box into position, said means UNITED STAT S PATENTS being rotatable about the post.

9/1916 Decker 232/39 1 Claim, 4 Drawing Fi s 4/1922 Munson 232/39 X MAIL BOX WITH HEIGHT ADJUSTABLE SUPPORT MEANS FIELD OF THE INVENTION My invention is directed toward mail box installations used in so called rural areas. Customarily, such installations employ vertical posts having bottom ends extending into the ground and supporting rural type mail boxes at the top ends. Such installations have two inherent difficiencies. First, the snow level, either because of the depth of snow fall or because of plowing, can be sufficiently high to prevent use of the box. Secondly, the plow can strike the box or pole and break the pole. Since the ground is frozen under such conditions, the pole cannot be replaced until spring.

SUMMARY My invention overcomes these disadvantages by employing means on the pole which enables the box to be raised or lowered to desired level whereby the box can always be disposed above snow level. This means also allows the box to rotate around the post rather than remain rigidly in place when struck by a plow whereby plow damage is minimized. Finally, my invention employs a heavy support base for the bottom end of the pole, said base resting on the ground. Thus, if the apparatus is knocked over or broken, suitable repairs can be made if necessary, without having to wait for spring to dig holes and the like.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS In the drawings:

FIG. 1 is a side elevation of my invention in use;

FIG. 2 is an end elevation of my invention;

FIG. 3 is a top plan of my invention; and

FIG. 4 shows top plan and side elevation of certain parts used in my invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS Referring now to FIGS. 1-4, a concrete base takes the form of a vertical truncated pyramid having a relatively large bottom square shaped horizontal surface resting on the ground and a relatively small top square horizontal surface at the top.

A vertical post 12 such as a pipe has a bottom end buried in the base. The post is aligned with the vertical axis of symmetry of the base.

A flat plate 14 has an extension 16 extending vertically downward from one end. Two like rings 18 vertically spaced and aligned are secured to the outer surface of the extension. Each ring has its own thumbscrew 20.

In use, the post extends through the rings whereby the plate can be moved slidably along the post and rotated thereabout before being locked in position by tightening the thumbscrews.

A rural type mail box 24 can be secured to the top of plate 14 whereby the box can be moved with the plate. Handles 22 can be secured to the top surface of the base and extend upward along opposite sides of the post.

My invention can then be used as previously described.

While I have described my invention with particular reference to the drawings, such is not to be considered as limiting its actual scope.

Having thus described this invention, what is asserted as new is:

1. Apparatus for receiving and collecting mail comprising:

a heavy base having a relatively large flat bottom horizontal surface adapted to rest on the ground or other support and having a relatively small flat top horizontal surface, the outer surfaces of the base tapering upward and inward from the bottom surface to the top surface;

a vertical post having a bottom and extending downward through the top surface of the base into the interior thereof;

a horizontally extending rural delivery type mail box means supporting said box and slidable along the post, to support said box at any desired height along the post, said means including a manually operable mechanism for locking the box into position, said means being rotatable about the post;

wherein said top and bottom surfaces are squares and wherein said post is aligned with the vertical axis of symmetry of the base;

wherein a pair of handles are secured to the top surface and extend upward along opposite sides of the post;

wherein said means includes a horizontal plate upon which at least a portion of the bottom of said box rests and is secured thereto;

a vertical lower extension to the plate supporting vertically spaced horizontal rings which encircle the post; and each ring ring having its own thumbscrew. 

1. Apparatus For receiving and collecting mail comprising: a heavy base having a relatively large flat bottom horizontal surface adapted to rest on the ground or other support and having a relatively small flat top horizontal surface, the outer surfaces of the base tapering upward and inward from the bottom surface to the top surface; a vertical post having a bottom and extending downward through the top surface of the base into the interior thereof; a horizontally extending rural delivery type mail box means supporting said box and slidable along the post, to support said box at any desired height along the post, said means including a manually operable mechanism for locking the box into position, said means being rotatable about the post; wherein said top and bottom surfaces are squares and wherein said post is aligned with the vertical axis of symmetry of the base; wherein a pair of handles are secured to the top surface and extend upward along opposite sides of the post; wherein said means includes a horizontal plate upon which at least a portion of the bottom of said box rests and is secured thereto; a vertical lower extension to the plate supporting vertically spaced horizontal rings which encircle the post; and each ring ring having its own thumbscrew. 